The Dangote Sugar Refinery (DSR) Plc has announced the closure of its company in Niger state over a land acquisition dispute. The company announced the development in its 2020 consolidated and separate financial statements.
It said the land was purchased for its backward integration project (BIP) which is ongoing in some other states including Adamawa, Nasarawa, and Taraba.
DSR said the BIP includes a 10-year sugar development plan to produce 1.5 million metric tonnes per annum of sugar from locally grown sugarcane.
It said the dispute in Niger led to a stretched situation that had started accumulating negative returns.
“The Company began its Backward Integration Project (BIP) with a 10-year sugar development plan, to produce 1.5 million MT per annum of sugar from locally grown sugarcane. The Project commenced with the acquisition of large expanse of land in strategic locations such as Niger State, Taraba State, Adamawa State, and Nasarawa State,” the report read.
“To this end, four (4) BIP sugar companies; Dangote Taraba Sugar Limited, Dangote Adamawa Sugar Limited, Nasarawa Sugar Company Limited, and Dangote Niger Sugar Limited were incorporated. Prior to the merger of DSR and SSCL, the Company had commenced rehabilitation and expansion of SSCL Sugar Factory at Numan towards increasing production capacity by 6,000 tons of cane per day (TCD).
“Sugarcane planting has also commenced in two other BIP locations. Regrettably, due to community dispute over the land acquired in Niger State, projected activities have not commenced in Niger State. This had been a stretched situation that had started accumulating negative returns.
“In view of this, the Board of Directors took a decisive decision to wind-up the BIP Company in Niger State. In December 2020, the winding-up proceedings for Dangote Niger Sugar Limited were completed.”
At least 937 people died in violent attacks and mass atrocities in Kaduna State last year, an annual security report by the state government has shown. The report released Wednesday attributed the deaths to kidnappings, banditry and other criminal activities that cut “across all ethnic and religious groups” in Kaduna State. “Victims of criminal acts like banditry and kidnapping are to be found across ethnic, religious or political leanings and persuasions,’’ Samuel Aruwan, the state’s commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said while presenting the report. In his presentation, Mr Aruwan said that of the 937 killed, Igabi Local Government Area recorded the highest number of casualties (152), followed by Kajuru Local Government Area with 144 casualties. He added that Birnin Gwari, Igabi, Giwa and Chikun local governments in Kaduna central accounted for about 50 per cent (or 468 deaths) of the entire fatalities in the state. Meanwhile, 286 died in Kaduna South from the viole...

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